Time for Americans to Care about Others

I. Time for Americans to Care about Others
Middle East Online
April 30, 2008
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/opinion/?id=25629

II. This article is about the United States. More specifically, it is about all the bad things the United States have done. The author uses quotes that say how the United States are so big and powerful, and yet they haven't showed a lot of interest in international affairs. The author also says that the U.S. treats people as "lesser humans." He continues to bash the United States by saying how people in Palestine are being hurt and even having stun grenades thrown in mosques and yet the United States doesn't care, how one third of the world lives in poverty and the U.S. doesn't care, how our environment is being destroyed and the U.S. doesn't care, and how ignorance is very prevalent throughout the United States.

III. A) This article relates to the AP World History Theme Impact of technology, economics, and demography on people and the environment because the author of this article is saying even though the United States is advanced technologically, they are doing nothing to help other communities around the world.
B) The historical background of this issue is that according to the author, the United States has been very selfish towards other countries and does not want to help some of the problems of the world, even though they have made some of the problems themselves.
C) The author of this article is Paul Balles. He is an American who has lived in the Middle East for many years, therefore he is an insider.
D) This article should be approached with caution because it seems that the author does not like the United States. Some bias statements in the article are, "It’s past time to care – about treating people as lesser humans, about poverty, (talking about the United States)" and, "Not the corporate moguls of the biggest energy wastrels in the world." This shows how the author is biased against the U.S.
E) A missing voice in this article would be from an American living in the United States. This would give us the point of view from a person who actually lives in the place where they "don't care about anyone" and would help us to see if the U.S. really doesn't care about anyone.
F) Personally, I think that this author went a little bit out of hand. Obviously, he did not care for the United States. He thinks that we are selfish and arrogant. I think it is very interesting how this article is written from an American. I wonder why he got to angry at his former country as to write an article such as this.